1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to information processing and communication systems. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for managing the connectivity of a mobile device to a plurality of network connectivity locations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Advances in microprocessor design and manufacturing have led to the evolution of powerful computing platforms with small form factors, modest power consumption, and low heat dissipation. These platforms have been adopted for use in a wide variety of mobile devices that include cell phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet PCs, and laptop computers. It is now becoming common for these devices to concurrently support multiple types of physical and wireless connectivity. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port may be provided for direct physical connection to other devices along with a Bluetooth or Ultra-Wideband (UWB) transceiver for wireless connections to a variety of peripherals. Similarly, an Ethernet port may be provided for physical connection to a local area network (LAN) in conjunction with a wireless modem to access wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as those based on variations of the IEEE 802.11 specification, often referred to as WiFi.
However, each of these connectivity options has attendant limitations. For example, USB is limited by its cable length restrictions and its comparatively slow throughput. Bluetooth and UWB don't require a physical connection, but they share similar distance and throughput limitations. An Ethernet LAN connection can deliver high throughput, but the device must be physically connected to the network, which limits mobility. Current WLANs provide both mobility and ongoing improvements in bandwidth, but their range is typically limited, the quality of their coverage may be erratic, and their presence may not be detectable if their broadcast beacon is disabled. While WWANs can provide greater geographical coverage, their use generally comes at the expense of lower bandwidth, higher cost, and unpredictable local availability. Furthermore, none of these provide the wide coverage, high bandwidth, ubiquity of access, and security desired by today's mobile device users. As a result, mobile device users are often required to connect, disconnect, and reconnect as they traverse from one area of network coverage to another. In some cases, the network coverage may be homogenous to the degree that the same communications protocol and bandwidth is available, such as for WiFi connections in the mobile device user's home, at a coffee shop, in an airport, or at their office. More often, network connectivity is likely to be heterogeneous, such as when a mobile device uses a DSL connection at home, a WWAN EDGE connection in the field, a WiFi connection in a retail venue, and an Ethernet LAN connection in their office. Further complications are caused by overlapping network coverage, as it may be difficult to determine which network connectivity will deliver the highest QOS at the lowest cost. Current approaches to these issues include network roaming solutions that detect the presence of wireless networks, discover the protocol they use, determine their area of coverage, and then transfer network connectivity according to predetermined parameters. In some approaches, these network connectivity transfers are automatic and transparent while others require varying degrees of user interaction.
However, the presence of physical or wireless network coverage may be neither apparent nor detectable, leading the mobile device user to mistakenly believe that network connectivity is unavailable. Approaches to this issue include databases that cross-reference network addresses to physical locations. Yet these databases are generally not linked to on-line mapping services or geographical positioning system (GPS) devices, and if stored on the mobile device, the information they contain may be dated or inconclusive. Furthermore, they may not provide the option for the user to manually enter network connectivity information which is then used to automatically update a master location database. Additional challenges are introduced by the need for mobile device users to comply with corporate connectivity and security policies. In some cases, these policies require establishing a virtual private network (VPN) connection in addition to provision of a user ID and password. In other cases, the use of cryptographic mechanisms is required, including digital certificates, smart cards, and tokens. Complying with these policies and managing multiple user credentials across a multitude of private and public networks can be tedious, error-prone, and time consuming. While it would be advantageous for a mobile device user to be able to address all of these issues with a single solution, this ability does not currently exist.